


The Art of Seduction

by thatwriterlady



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Attraction, Awkwardness, Claire Ships It, Embarrassing moments, Falling For One Another, Flirting, Flirty Dean, Fluff, M/M, Neighbors, Surprise erections, aggressive flirting, shameless flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 00:13:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15569448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterlady/pseuds/thatwriterlady
Summary: Castiel has a new neighbor that just moved in.  The man is tall, broad-shouldered, ridiculously handsome, and a shameless flirt.  How is he ever going to resist?  Especially when his daughter ships them together even more than they do.





	The Art of Seduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone. I know, I haven't put anything up in a while, but I haven't been well. I started getting sick, and it turned out I had another UTI, but it was more than just that, I also had a kidney stone. I narrowly avoided needing surgery to remove it due to infection and severe swelling. I managed to pass it by the time of my CT scan last Friday. I haven't felt great since then, and I have another new health issue to deal with, and now I am adding a Urologist into my long list of doctors. Great. Like the rest weren't enough.
> 
> Being stuck in bed, I started going back through all of my unfinished stories and well, finishing them. This is one I completed, and so I'm putting it up now, so you all know I'm still alive, lol. It is prompt based, on a set of pictures I saw like a year ago, but I no longer have the pictures. I still thought they were funny, and I did my own take on it. I do hope you enjoy this story.

**_The Art of Seduction_ **

 

“Dad, we have new neighbors.”

 

Castiel looked up from the book he was reading to where his daughter was sitting in the window seat looking towards the driveway next door.

 

“Oh?  Any children?”  he asked.

 

“No, I don’t see any.”  She sounded disappointed.  “I just see a really good looking guy.  Wait, I see 2 more guys too. Wow, that lady’s hair is _really_ red.”  She was running commentary and as much as Castiel wanted to mind his own business, he was curious.

 

“Young couple then?”  he asked as he got up from the couch and moved over to sit beside her.  She scooted over so he could look out too.

 

“Maybe?  The redhead kissed a woman with dark hair, so they gotta be girlfriends.”  

 

“So are they our new neighbors?”  Castiel liked the idea of having a gay couple as neighbors.  It would be nice to not be the only queer person in the entire neighborhood.

 

“Not sure.  That guy is the one giving instructions.”  She pointed to a tall man with light brown hair in a Motorhead tee shirt and jeans.  Castiel spotted the man she was talking about and had to do a literal double take. The man was _gorgeous!_  

 

 _“Oh, PLEASE let HIM be my new neighbor…”_ He wished fervently.  His daughter caught him staring and bumped her arm against his.

 

“Told you he was hot.  So’s the even taller guy, the one with the long hair.”

 

“There’s another man?”  Castiel couldn’t see anyone but the gorgeous man who was giving instructions on where things were supposed to be going.  Claire laughed before getting up. Castiel never heard the front door open but when he saw her walking across the yard towards their new neighbors he drew in a breath sharply, and stared in horror. What was she _doing?!_

 

♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

Claire crossed the yard quickly, before her father could come out and drag her back inside, and right up to the man giving orders.

 

“Hi.”  She put on her friendliest smile and waited until he turned her way.

 

“Hey.”  He smiled back.  That was a good sign.

 

“I’m Claire.  I live part time next door.  Are you our new neighbor?” she asked.

 

“I am.  I’m Dean.”  He offered his hand and she shook it.

 

“Nice to meet you, Dean.  This is my dad’s house. His name is Castiel.”

 

“Castiel?  Huh. Don’t think I’ve ever heard a name like that,” he said.

 

“He’s named after an angel.  The angel of Thursday, to be specific,” she explained.

 

“That’s actually pretty cool.”  He smiled wider. “Is he around?”

 

“Actually…”  She turned to look back at the window she knew her dad was still sitting in and motioned for him to come outside.  It took almost a full minute before the front door opened and he came out. Dean was back to giving instructions so he missed the nervous look on his new neighbor’s face as he slowly crossed the yard.

 

“Dad, this is Dean, our new neighbor.  Dean, this is my dad, Castiel Novak.” Claire introduced, drawing Dean’s attention back.  His eyes widened slightly as they landed on the man standing next to Claire.

 

“Hey, nice to meet you.”  Dean smiled as he offered his hand.

 

“It is nice to meet you as well,”  Castiel replied, expression remaining serious.

 

“Have I moved into a nice neighborhood?” Dean asked him.

 

“Oh, for the most part, yes.  Everyone here is friendly, with perhaps the exception of Richard Roman who lives in the bungalow on the corner.  He is fairly unpleasant, especially towards anyone that owns a dog. He files noise complaints on anyone he knows has a dog if he hears it barking,” Castiel replied.

 

“And which house would be his?”  Dean watched as Castiel pointed out a house with red slate roof and a Trump sign in the front yard.  Dean’s pleasant expression disappeared, replaced by something darker.

 

“Yeah, I’ll be steering clear of that guy.”

 

“So, you live alone?”  Claire asked, trying to lighten things up again.

 

“Claire!”  Castiel hissed.  She ignored her father and turned her gaze on Dean who was not being discreet about staring at her father.

 

“Yep, sure do.  I’m from Kansas.  Took a new position here.  So far, I like the area.”

 

“My dad lives alone too.  Except when I’m here,” she added.  Castiel slapped a hand over his face.

 

“I’m disowning you.”  

 

She giggled, and Dean laughed too.  

 

“Hey, who’s this?”

 

A tall man with the top of his hair pulled back in a half ponytail walked over with a woman who had the reddest hair Castiel thought he had ever seen in his life.

 

“This is my neighbor, Castiel, and his daughter, Claire.  This is my brother, Sam and my best friend, Charlie,” Dean said. Castiel shook hands with each of them.

 

“It is nice to meet you both.”  

 

“Nice to meet you too,”  Sam said. Charlie nodded in agreement before turning to Dean.

 

“So, you just going to tell everyone where you want stuff or are you actually going to help us move _your_ stuff?”

 

There was attitude in her tone that told him he wasn’t getting away without helping.  He grinned and started backing up towards the moving truck.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m helping.”  He looked to Claire and Castiel, his eyes lingering on the man.  “It was nice meeting you. I hope to see a lot more of you.”

 

“Oh, you will.  Nice meeting you too!”  Claire waved before turning to face her father.  “So the hottie is your new neighbor. I bet you’re happy.”

 

Castiel glared at his daughter before turning and walking back to his house.  He didn’t need her knowing how attracted he was to Dean. And after that encounter, he needed a stiff drink.

 

And to not think of the word “stiff” again when around his child…

 

♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

Dean watched his new neighbor disappear back into his house, unashamedly ogling the man’s ass as he went.  Damn that man was _fine_!

 

“Eyes back in your head, Romeo.”  Sam laughed as he reached into the truck and pulled out another box.  Dean snorted and grabbed one of the end tables.

 

“What?  I have a totally _hot_ neighbor.  There’s no harm in looking.”

 

“I’m pretty sure he’s straight,”  Sam said as they started walking towards the house.

 

“Who, Castiel?”  Charlie had caught up to them with a box of her own.  “He’s not straight. I’d bet my deck of Magic cards on it.”

 

Interesting.  Dean had a hot, probably not-straight new neighbor.  Was there a chance the man might be interested? Well, there was one way to find out…

 

♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

“I can’t believe you did that.”  Castiel headed straight for the liquor cabinet and poured himself a tumbler of whisky.  He shot his daughter a look of reproach as he swallowed it down. She simply rolled her eyes before flopping down on the couch and grabbing the remote.  

 

“All I did was make sure you met your super-hot neighbor who thinks you’re super hot too.”

 

“He does not.”  Something in his voice betrayed his desire for that to be true.  She turned and smiled knowingly at him.

 

“You like him.”

 

He scoffed and poured himself another drink.  That didn’t even dignify a response. Claire snickered as she turned her attention back to the television.

 

“I think we’re going to see a lot more of Dean.”

 

Castiel found himself wondering just how right his daughter was.

 

♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

“Hey, neighbor!”

 

Castiel looked up from his gardening to see Dean waving at him from his driveway.  

 

“Hello, Dean.  How are you settling in?”

 

Dean stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and Castiel tried not to stare at how low they were suddenly slung on the man’s hips.

 

“Good, actually.  Had to get used to a few noises, fix a few things, but overall I’m unpacked and I think I’m done rearranging things.”

 

“That’s good.  What do you mean by noises?”  Castiel asked.

 

“Oh, well, I heard some scratching in the attic.  Found a nest of squirrels. Relocated them. Then there was this ticking noise that I kept noticing at night when I was trying to sleep, and it was driving me nuts.  Turns out the piping in this house is only updated in some spots, enough that it passed inspection, but when I opened up one of the walls I found corrosion and one of the pipes, when it got air in it, was tapping against an old pipe that was no longer functioning, but had been left inside the wall.  I removed the old pipe, updated the ones still in use and voila! No more noises keeping me up at night.” Dean was slowly crossing the yard as he talked until he was standing next to where Castiel was kneeling, working in one of his flower beds to get it ready for spring planting. His current position was giving him all sorts of naughty ideas, and from the smirk on Dean’s face, his new neighbor was thinking the same thing.

 

“Oh, I’ve had to update the vast majority of my plumbing as well.  I replaced the subfloor in both bathrooms and the toilets last year.  Over the winter I updated the faucets. When I have the time this spring I’ll replace the kitchen faucet, and I want a farmhouse sink, which means replacing the counter as well.  I have plans, and I am executing them when I have the time and patience to do so.” Castiel dug another hole and dropped a bulb into it. It kept his attention away from the hips he wanted to bite and lick.

 

“Farmhouse sink?  I’m not sure I know what that is.  I’ll have to look it up. What are you planting?”  Dean asked.

 

“Crocus and tulips in this bed.  I’ll be planting bleeding hearts under the kitchen windows and roses out back.  I have other things already planted. I’m just adding more.”

 

Dean watched him planting a few more bulbs before he spoke again.

 

“So, you have Claire this weekend?”

 

“No, she’s with her mother.  We alternate, but Claire has a life of her own too, so even when she’s here, she’s not always _here_ , if you know what I mean,”  Castiel replied.

 

“Yeah, I do.  So, uh, what do you do?  For a living.”

 

Castiel covered the last of his bulbs with dirt and began collecting his things.  He got to his feet, ignoring the twinge of pain in his lower back. Maybe he was getting to be a little too old to be on his knees…

 

“I’m an accountant.  I am head of the department for the entire Grover’s Food chain.”  

 

The look on Dean’s face told him the man wasn’t all that surprised.  It made him lose points in Castiel’s book.

 

“I’m a videogame designer.  I work from home mostly.”

 

Castiel was impressed, but he schooled his expression so he actually seemed disinterested.  If Dean was going to pass judgment over him being an accountant, he wasn’t going to give the man the benefit of knowing he thought that was a pretty cool job.

 

“Hmm.  Claire plays some videogames.”

 

Dean frowned slightly at his perceived lack of interest.  Before either man could say something else, Castiel’s phone rang.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

He pulled his phone from his pocket and smiled when he saw it was his friend Balthazar.  

 

“Cassie, darling!  We _must_ go out tonight!”  The man said in lieu of a proper greeting.

 

“Oh?  And where would we be going to?”  He asked with a laugh.

 

“The Thorny Rose, love, because I’m _horny_!  We need to go hunting, find us some beautiful men!”  Balthazar cried. Castiel burst out laughing.

 

“Is that all you ever think about?  Sex and alcohol?” He noticed Dean had walked back to his own property, pausing to pull some weeds from an empty flower bed.

 

“Of course!  I’ll pick you up tonight, say…nine?  We’ll have an amazing time. Dress sexy.”  

 

Castiel smiled as he headed back into his house.

 

“Fine.  You’re paying the entrance fee though, not me.”

 

“Just have your gorgeous ass ready, and wear your tightest jeans.  And don’t forget the condoms!”

 

♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

Dean heard about half of his neighbor’s conversation thanks to the man he was on the phone with talking especially loud.  Seeing the man smile so easily and hearing him laugh made him even more attractive. Apparently he was going out tonight. Dean found himself wondering whether the man on the phone was just a friend or something more.  

 

And what was up with that attitude?  He’d caught Castiel staring at his crotch, so he was pretty sure the guy was interested, but he’d seemed so unimpressed with what he did for work.  Was it because he hadn’t made an effort to show interest first in Castiel’s career? Accounting was…boring. And the man was outside planting flowers.  That wasn’t exactly exciting either. Maybe the man just didn’t get out much. Rather than give up, Dean decided that instead, he would make more of an effort to get to know the handsome man next door and see if he couldn’t work through his defenses.  

 

Step One:  Interrogate the daughter.  That was his easiest way in.

  


♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

The grass was getting long and he’d put it off for three weeks now, but having it brushing against his calves when he stepped outside meant it was time to finally break down and pull out the lawnmower, so that’s exactly what Castiel did.  He dragged it out of the garage and into the backyard, then went inside to change into clothes that he didn’t mind getting dirty in. A pair of sweatpants from college and an old tee shirt would have to do. He changed, making sure to put on his old pair of running shoes, then headed outside to get started.  The day was sunny and already warm, but not quite hot yet. He wanted to get the grass cut before the sun was high and it became too hot outside to do it. The lawnmower started quickly and then he was off, cutting in neat, quick rows.

 

Claire came out with a glass of water halfway through the backyard and met him in front with a fresh glass when he was halfway finished there.  

 

“Are we going to go shopping today to get the things we need for the new fish tank?” she asked as he chugged the water down.  He drained the glass, smacking his lips together in satisfaction as he handed the glass back.

 

“We can, after I take a shower.  Make sure you have a list of all the things you’ll need, so we don’t accidentally forget something the fish will need once we get them in the tank.  I’d hate to accidentally kill them because we forgot a chemical, or food or something,” he said.

 

“I’ve been compiling a list.”  She held up her phone, showing him the things she’d been adding to it.  A noise across the yard drew their attention. There was Dean Winchester, shirtless, wearing a pair of _very_ low slung jeans, bent over the engine of his car.  Castiel had a perfect view of his…

 

“Oh my…”

 

“Don’t even say it!”  Castiel hissed. Claire clamped her mouth shut and turned to look at her father with wide, blue eyes.  The sound of something metal and heavy hitting the concrete made them both turn back to look. Dean stood up, rolling his shoulders before bending down to pick up the wrench he had dropped.  He did a double take when he noticed them.

 

“Oh, hey, good morning.”  The smile on his lips was much too mischievous for Castiel to believe he hadn’t known he was out here.

 

“Good morning to you as well, Dean.  Is your car having issues?” he asked.

 

“Nah, just doing routine maintenance.  Checking her fluids, making sure everything looks good.”  Dean scratched absently (or not so absently since one finger was actually circling his belly button) at his stomach as he talked.

 

“Hmm.  Well, don’t let us interrupt you.”  Castiel took his daughter by the shoulders and turned her around.  “Go back in the house,” he said low enough that only she heard him.  She snorted and rolled her eyes.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”  

 

Castiel went back to his lawnmower and, watching Dean carefully, he lifted the corner of his tee shirt and used it to wipe the sweat from his face.  The green eyes watching him darkened and he could see the want in his new neighbor’s eyes. Not bothering to hide his smirk, he turned the machine back on and continued mowing his lawn.

 

♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

“Holy…That’s your _neighbor_ ?!  He’s _hot_!”  Chrissy was practically plastered to the living room window.  She and Claire were sitting in the window seat, watching some boys in the neighborhood tossing a football around when Dean had come out of his house wearing nothing but some sweatpants and a tank top.  He was taking out some kind of table with a saw on it, and working in front of his open garage. Claire leaned past her friend to look.

 

“Oh, yeah, that’s Dean.  He totally has the hots for my dad.”

 

Chrissy turned to look at her.  “No way, really? Does your dad like him?”

 

“Yeah, he does, but he’s trying to pretend he doesn’t.”  Claire ran her lower lip between her teeth as an idea formulated in her head.  Her dad was out grocery shopping. They had maybe an hour before he got back…

 

“Come on, I need to find out if he’s into my dad like I think he is.  I want to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”

 

She got up and shoved her feet in her flip flops.  Chrissy was already sliding her sandals on.

 

“What do you plan to do?”

 

“Watch and learn.”  Claire said before marching towards the door.  Her dad was going to get the man of his dreams if she had anything to say about it.

 

♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

Dean measured the first 2x4 and lined it up against the saw blade.  The cut was quick and then he was tossing the piece into a pile he planned to use for the shelving unit he was building in the master bath. He glanced over at Castiel’s house but there was no movement, and the man’s car wasn’t in the driveway.  That didn’t mean much. He knew Claire drove it sometimes, but Castiel himself might be out too. Hopefully this time he was home. His mission to drive the sexy accountant nuts seemed to be working a little. More than a few times he had caught the man checking him out.  

 

He got the 2x4s finished and started on the boards he planned to use for the shelves, measuring them and marking them.  Just as he was lining the first one up a flash of blonde hair in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he looked up to see Claire and a girl with long, dark hair laying out towels on the grass.  They were in bikinis. Slightly disappointed that Castiel didn’t seem to be home, he returned to cutting his wood. Now he didn’t have to drag it out, he’d just get the pieces cut and go back inside to actually start putting the whole thing together.  Just as he was about to cut the second board, he heard his name being called.

 

“Dean!”

 

He looked up and saw Claire waving at him.  He waved back.

 

“Whatcha making?” she asked.

 

“A shelving unit for my bathroom.”  

 

She got up and pulled a tee shirt over her head before walking across the yard.  Remembering that he’d wanted to grill the kid for information, he turned the saw off and put on his friendliest smile.

 

“You do a lot of carpentry?”  

 

“Yeah, kind of.  I like working with my hands.  Building something the way I want it to be done brings a lot of satisfaction,” he explained.  

 

“That’s pretty cool.  My dad thinks the same way.  He’s lived here since he divorced my mom.  I was 6, I think. Anyway, he has remodeled every room, one by one, adding in built in cabinets, shelves, replacing pipes and light fixtures, and he’s taught me how to do most of it,” she said.

 

“I thought your dad was an accountant.”  

 

She quirked an eyebrow at him.  “And an accountant can’t do anything else?  My dad is a jack of all trades. I bet he didn’t tell you what he used to when he was in college, did he?”

 

Dean shook his head slowly, wondering what on Earth she was talking about.

 

“I’ve barely gotten a chance to talk to him.  He seems kind of…standoffish.”

 

Claire grinned.  “Oh, that’s cause you don’t know him.  He’s kind of stiff and formal with everyone at first.  But…he likes you.”

 

Dean frowned.  “How do you know?  He always seems like he’s desperate to get as far away from me as possible.”

 

“That’s because he thinks you’re hot.  He’s never done well around people he thinks are hot.  He gets flustered or comes off seeming rude but what he really wants is to get you in his bed.”  She giggled when he gaped at her, his cheeks tinging red at her boldness.

 

“Geez, kid, say what’s really on your mind,” he muttered.  That made her laugh harder.

 

“Look, I know you like my dad.  He’s a good guy, and he’s worth chasing after.  If you’re up for that.”

 

The other girl had put on a tee shirt and come over too.  She stood quietly beside Claire listening to the conversation.

 

“So…he’s…your dad, he’s into guys?”  Dean rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  This was a more awkward conversation than he’d anticipated.  Claire had zero filter, and he hadn’t been prepared for that.  Usually _he_ was the one with no filter.

 

“Oh, heck yeah, he’s into guys.  I guess technically he’s bi, but he has a preference for men.  My mom is one of only 2 women he’s ever been with. The rest were all men.”

 

Chrissy nodded in agreement.

 

“I’ve known Claire for years, and I’ve only seen him date men.”

 

Well, that answered one of Dean’s major questions.

 

“How did you react when he told you he was an accountant?”  Claire asked.

 

“Uh, I don’t know.  Why?”

 

“Because he weighs whether or not a man is worth his time by whether or not they think he is boring,” she replied.  Suddenly Dean felt guilty.

 

“Oh, I guess I sort of didn’t have much of a reaction, but yeah, I thought accounting was pretty dull.”

 

“Then you’ll be glad to know that is a test he runs past anyone that might be interested in him.  He’s not really an accountant, my uncle is. Consider it…weeding out the ones that might actually bore _him_.”  She tapped the side of her nose and he realized she was letting him in on an important secret.

 

“And I failed.”  Dean wasn’t sure whether he was irked with himself for passing judgment on Castiel or irked at Castiel for tricking him.

 

She shrugged.  “Maybe. Maybe not.  You’re still flirting with him, which means you’re still interested.  You didn’t let the thought of him working some boring desk job chase you off.  And I know he’s still interested.”

 

“What do I have to do to really get his attention?”  he asked.

 

She studied him for a long moment.

 

“Keep doing what you’re doing.  Maybe even turn it up a notch.”

 

“That’s it?”  He couldn’t believe it would be _that_ easy.

 

“He’s not going to fall over himself to get in your pants or anything, he has integrity and self-respect, but persistence is key with my dad.  If you like him and you want him for more than just sex…” She shrugged. “Prove it.”

 

Claire turned on her heels and marched back across the yard with her friend in tow, both girls stripping off their tee shirts and stretching out on their towels again.  Dean was left standing there, pondering how exactly he was going to seduce his extremely hot neighbor. Was he really up to the task? When Castiel’s Ford Explorer pulled into the driveway a few minutes later and he saw the man get out wearing a pair of jeans that hugged him in all the right places and an Avengers tee shirt, he decided that yeah, the man was _definitely_ worth pursuing.

 

♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

“He’s out there right now.  Looks like he’s barbecuing.”  Charlie was looking out the window over the kitchen sink as it faced the neighbor’s backyard and sure enough, there was Castiel, standing at his grill.  “He has some people over.”

 

“His kid one of them?”  Dean asked.

 

“No, I don’t see any teenagers out there,” she replied.  “But I see a couple of really hot ladies.”

 

Dean snorted and got up from the kitchen table where he had been searching craigslist from his laptop, looking for a shed for the backyard.  He nudged her aside so he could see into the next yard.

 

“Damn that man is fucking gorgeous!”  He sucked in air when Castiel bent over to grab a beer out of the cooler next to the grill.  The basketball shorts he wore hugged his ass perfectly, and bending down just made the view even better.

 

“Do you know any of those people?”  She looked up at Dean, but he shook his head.

 

“Nah, he doesn’t really have people over too often.  This is the first time I’ve seen him even use his grill.”

 

Charlie looked back at the little gathering for a moment before turning and heading over to the table.

 

“You know, now would be the perfect time to go out and measure that corner between the fence and the tree, where you want to put that shed.  And maybe lose the flannel,” she said. Dean turned to face her, leaning back against the sink and smiling.

 

“That’s actually an excellent idea.”

 

♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

“I brought wine, anyone want wine?”  Balthazar asked from his lounge chair under the large oak tree.

 

“Who brings wine to a barbecue?”  Gabe countered. Castiel snickered and smiled at his brother and his best friend.

 

“I’ll stick with beer,” he said.  Balthazar frowned and pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes.

 

“You are all uncultured heathens.”

 

“No, you’re just a snob.”  Meg shot back as she came out of the house with a stack of paper plates and napkins.  Hannah was right behind her with the plastic cutlery and buns for the burgers.

 

“You all just suck.”  Balthazar pouted.

 

“Damn right I suck.  I swallow too.” Castiel said.  Everyone burst out laughing.

 

“Damn, Cassie, tmi, tmi!”  His brother cried. Castiel grinned as he flipped the burgers.

 

“Oh, _hello_ !  Who is _that_?”  Meg asked.  Castiel turned to see what had gotten her attention.  He cocked one eyebrow as he watched Dean Winchester exiting his back door and walking to the far corner of his yard.

 

“That would be my new neighbor, Dean.  He’s been trying to get in my pants since he moved in.”  Castiel turned back to the food he was cooking, deliberately avoiding looking at Dean.  The way the man looked in the jeans he had on was enough to get him hard, and he didn’t want to deal with that kind of embarrassment, not in front of his friends.

 

“And _why_ exactly haven’t you, what is it you Americans say… _tapped_ that yet?”  Balthazar sat up and slid his sunglasses up to the top of his head.  “He is absolutely delicious.”

 

“Because I’m not that easy, and I’m not looking for a quick fuck.  How well do you know me?” Castiel was annoyed. Everything for Bal was about a quick lay.  No messy feelings for him. It wasn’t like that for Castiel though. He wanted a relationship. Someone he could fall in love with.

 

“So, what, you’re blowing him off because you want more than sex?  Do you even know what he wants?” Hannah leaned against the railing and looked at him.

 

“I haven’t exactly asked what his intentions are, no, but it’s obvious he’s attracted to me.  Watch.” Castiel closed the lid of the grill and stepped down off his deck. He knew Dean was watching, could almost feel those green eyes on him as he went to the shed at the back of his own yard to get more chairs.  The shed was hot so after he ducked inside, he stripped off his tee shirt and tucked it into the back of his shorts. After making sure he had enough chairs for everyone, he came out of the shed. He heard the muffled “fuck” that came from Dean’s yard and when he looked over he saw the man fumbling to catch the tape measure he’d been working with.

 

“Oh, hello, Dean.  Didn’t see you there.”  Castiel couldn’t resist smirking as he handed the chairs to his brother.  Gabe deliberately averted his face as he was laughing.

 

“Uh, hey…Cas.  Nice, uh, day for a barbecue.”  Dean nodded in his direction before going back to his measurements.

 

“Sure is.  What are you measuring?”  Castiel deliberately leaned on the top of the chain link fence to watch him.  Apparently the man couldn’t measure with eyes on him because he closed the tape up and stuck it in his pocket.

 

“I need a shed.  My tools and equipment are taking up too much space in my garage.  I’d like something a bit bigger than yours though. I have…more equipment.”

 

Castiel caught the innuendo tucked into that sentence and ignored it.

 

“Oh?  Doubtful.  I have a lot of…equipment as well.  This shed, it’s a lot bigger than it looks.”  Just for good measure he shifted his hips, noting how the other man’s eyes darted down to watch the movement before shifting away.

 

Behind him Meg erupted into a fit of giggles and Hannah was shaking with her own silent laughter.  Dean frowned, but there was a blush on his cheeks that told Castiel he’d caught _exactly_ what he meant by that.

 

“So…Dean.  When did you move in?”  Gabe came over and leaned casually on the fence next to his brother.

 

“About 2 months ago,”  Dean replied. He was slowly making his way over to where they stood.

 

“How do you like the neighborhood? Neighbors being friendly towards ya?”  

 

Castiel knew his brother was having a bit of his own fun, and he wasn’t going to stop him.  If Dean was seriously interested, he would really have to be on the ball, otherwise Gabe would chew him up and spit him out.

 

“Neighbors are great.  Haven’t had any problems with anyone.  The lady on the other side of me likes to flirt, though.  Even asked me out the other day,” Dean replied. There was a challenging glint in those green eyes that made Castiel narrow his own blue ones.

 

“Who, Becky Rosen?  You’re going to want to watch out for that one.  She’s a bit…” Gabe turned to look at his brother.  “What’s the word I’m looking for?”

 

“Nutty?”  Castiel offered.  Gabe snapped his fingers and pointed at Dean.

 

“That’s right.  Woman’s nuttier than a fruitcake.  She has a life size cardboard cutout of Tom Selleck tucked into the corner of her living room, and she writes some pretty raunchy erotic fan fiction.”

 

Dean shook his head in disbelief.  “And you know this _why_?”

 

Gabe shrugged.  “Castiel here is my baby brother, and maybe when he first bought this place, I got to know his neighbors.  Some on a more intimate level. She’s a beast in the bedroom, but clingy as all get out. You’ll want to watch out for her.”

 

“What is your name?”  Dean asked as he turned his attention to Gabe.

 

“Gabe.  The better looking of the 3 Novak brothers,”  Gabe replied, winking. Dean coughed to cover up a laugh, but Castiel didn’t hide his.  He patted his brother on the back.

 

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”

 

“Hi!  What’s going on?”

 

Castiel looked over Dean’s shoulder to see the redhead from the first day he’d moved in coming across the yard.  Maybe Claire had been mistaken and she really was Dean’s girlfriend.

 

“Just talking to Cas and his brother Gabe.”  Dean replied. Gabe look at his brother and mouthed

 

“Cas?”

 

Castiel just shrugged.

 

“Oh, hi again, Cas!”  Charlie came to a stop next to Dean and gave a little wave.  

 

“Hello.”  Castiel had totally forgotten her name.

 

“Summer barbecue, huh.  Dean, you should totally start up your grill, make some ribs and chicken,” she said.

 

“For just us?  Nah. Besides, I don’t have anything but ground beef.  When you go home get Dorothy to make you her bourbon chicken.”  

 

“Is Dorothy your girlfriend?”  Gabe asked.

 

“Excuse my brother, he’s nosey.”  Castiel shot his brother a warning look that the man deliberately ignored.

 

“It’s cool, and yes, she’s my girlfriend.  Sort of. She doesn’t want anything serious, yet she keeps showing up at my place.  It’s annoying.” Charlie sighed.

 

“Castiel!  I flipped the burgers!”  Hannah called out. He gave her a thumbs up.

 

“Say, if you guys aren’t busy, you could come over, hang out, eat with us.”  Gabe offered.

 

“Yeah?  Cool! I’m starving!”  Charlie cried. “Do you need us to bring anything?” she asked.

 

“I have chips, burgers, and beer.  And Hannah made a potato salad.” Castiel replied.

 

“How does pie sound?  I made one. I think there’s enough for everyone.”  Dean said. Castiel smiled.

 

“Pie sounds great.”

 

♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋♋

 

That was how Dean found himself over at his hot neighbor’s house, drinking beer, eating burgers, and tossing around a Frisbee with the man’s friends.  Unfortunately for him, Castiel chose to sit back in a lounge chair with his English friend and watch them as they talked. He felt the blue eyes watching them, but every time he glanced back Castiel was looking elsewhere. It was frustrating. After a few hours he excused himself and went home.  Charlie, having struck up a conversation with Meg, chose to stay.

 

The following weekend Dean decided to move his exercise equipment.  He’d put it in a room off the living room, but he decided to move the weights into the living room.  Specifically placing it in front of the window that faced Castiel’s house. He knew his neighbor didn’t pull the curtains, that he had a window seat there because on many occasions he’d seen Claire sitting there, either on her phone, on a laptop, or reading.  And so he started a new exercise routine.

 

Every morning, at 6 a.m., Dean started lifting.  He mostly focused on counting his repetitions, on the beat of his heart and the flex of his muscles, though a part of his attention was still on that window.

 

He’d seen Castiel passing through his living room a dozen or so times.  Sometimes the man was fully dressed, sometimes he wore nothing but a loose pair of shorts.  Those mornings Dean had to go and take a cold shower. Until now though, he hadn’t so much as glanced toward the window, so he hadn’t noticed Dean flexing and sweating, half naked.  For whatever reason though, today he looked up.

 

Dean was midway through his third set when he caught movement in the house next door.  Trying to be casual and not let the man know he saw him, he looked up to see Castiel standing in front of the window seat practically gaping at him.  There may have been a good 50 feet between the houses, but Dean could see the dark desire on the other man’s face. He moved a little slower, letting his muscles flex as he put his body on display, knowing full well he was putting on one hell of a show.  It didn’t miss his attention when Castiel rubbed at the bulge in his pants. Good. So he _did_ have an effect on the man.  He smirked, and that seemed to launch Castiel into motion.  Suddenly he was pulling the curtains, blocking Dean’s view completely.  Well, _almost_ completely.  The curtains were partly opaque and he could still see the man moving around the living room, clearly trying to figure out something.  Probably what to do about what he’d just seen. Dean hoped it meant he’d be coming and knocking on his door any moment. He finished the set and stood up, using the towel to wipe his face, eagerly staring at his front door, willing the doorbell to ring.  

 

But it didn’t.  He frowned when five minutes later there was still no hot neighbor at his door.  Then it dawned on him, Castiel was probably rubbing one out in the shower instead of coming over.  Fuck! Operation Seduce Neighbor was _not_ going according to plan.  He’d have to think up something else.

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

What on Earth was that man _thinking_ exercising like that in front of the windows that faced his house?  Had Claire ever seen him working out? All sweaty, muscles rippling, half dressed?  Shit, just thinking about what he’d seen had his dick throbbing all over again. This wasn’t fair!  He refused to just be someone’s quick fuck, and the way Dean was coming on to him, he couldn’t possibly want anything more.  Could he?

 

In frustration he marched into his bedroom and jumped on his treadmill.  It would be too easy to just jump in the shower and get himself off but he didn’t want that.  Too bad for Dean, he had a _date_ tonight.  He almost hoped Dean would see Eric coming to pick him up.  The man looked like Thor, right down to the bulging muscles and long, blonde hair.  He was just…a bit dull. Nice, sexy, but dull. He doubted it would go past this one date, but hey, it was his first real date in months and the man was hot.  Maybe he’d bring him back for some raunchy sex. Maybe he wouldn’t. It would depend on whether they had any kind of engaging conversation tonight on their date.  The more he thought about it, he _really_ hoped Dean was looking out the window tonight when Eric arrived.  He was cooking for the man, so Eric would be at his house for hours.  But what if he gave Dean the wrong impression? What if he came off seeming to be the opposite of what he really wanted: a relationship?  

 

Damn his brain for overthinking.  As he finished the three mile mark, his phone started ringing. He picked it up to see it was Claire, so he answered it.

 

“Hey, Dad,” she greeted cheerfully.

 

“Hey, pumpkin, what’s up?”

 

“I was wondering if you could pick me up tonight instead of tomorrow?  I’m off school tomorrow, and Mom says I can come to your house early.”

 

“I’m sorry, baby girl, I have a date tonight; I can’t.  But if you want to take an uber and get here after eleven, I should be free by then.”

 

She squealed so loud he had to pull the phone away from his ear, lest he lose hearing.

 

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!  He finally asked you out! He likes you _so_ much!  Where’s Dean taking you for dinner?”

 

“Um, my date is not with Dean.”  

 

She fell silent on the other end for all of two seconds before she was screaming at him.

 

“What do you mean it’s not with Dean?  He’s crazy about you! I even asked him and he said so!  Who the heck are you even going out with? He’s not good enough, whoever he is, you need to go out with Dean!”

 

“Whoa, slow down, and remember who you’re talking to!”  He took a deep breath. “What do you mean Dean’s crazy about me?  When did you talk to him? He _told_ you he likes me?”

 

“Duh, he didn’t have to, everyone in the neighborhood can tell.  But the fact that he only comes outside to do stuff so he can catch glimpses of you, and how he practically drools whenever he sees you.  He wants you to like him, and you just…you keep ignoring him. But he _still_ is trying to get your attention.  He wants more than a fling, Dad. Here’s what you’re going to do.  March next door, apologize for having a stick up your butt-”

 

“Hey!”

 

“And tell him you’d like to go on a date.  I’m calling an uber now, and you’re going to cancel your date with whatever guy asked you out.  Go, now, or I’ll be forced to intervene.”

 

The call ended and he almost fell of the treadmill, so shocked was he at his daughter’s boldness. He’d have to have a talk later with her about her attitude.  In the meantime, he knew he had to go talk to Dean before Claire arrived and did it for him. First though, he had to cancel his date with Eric.

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

Dean had just stepped out of the shower when he heard the doorbell ring.  He was still towel drying his hair as he padded through the living room and when he opened the door, Castiel was actually the last person he expected to see.

 

“Uh, hey,” he greeted awkwardly.

 

“What are your intentions with your actions?”  Castiel had his hands on his hips and fire in his eyes.  It was pretty hot.

 

“Intentions?”  Dean lowered the towel, draping it around his neck as he hoped his hair wasn’t standing on end.  The way Castiel looked up at it, he was pretty sure it was.

 

“Yes.  All of your flirtations, checking me out, talking to my _daughter_.  Is your goal to get me in your bed and then never bother with me again?  Because I’m not a quick lay, Dean. I have standards, and I don’t do flings or one night stands.”

 

Dean cringed at the mention of Claire.  How did he know they’d been talking? Did she tell him?

 

“I’m not like that either, Cas, at least, not since I was in my early twenties and was stupid.  I like you. You’re stubborn, but I still like you, even when you ignored me. Claire told me I had to up my game if I wanted to get your attention.  I was just trying to get you to notice me.”

 

For a second Castiel’s jaw dropped.  “Was _that_ why you were working out in front of the windows?  That’s not how you get my attention. You talk to me, you ask me questions to get to know me better. You _don’t_ ask my daughter!”

 

“To be fair, I didn’t.  She marched up to me one afternoon when you weren’t here and volunteered information, like the fact that you aren’t really an accountant.  It’s a test that apparently I failed, but I’m sorry, accounting just seems so…boring. I’m sorry I failed it, but accountant or not, I still liked you.  I still _do_ like you.  By the way, what _do_ you do for a living?”

 

Castiel crossed his arms and pursed his lips in annoyance.  “Of course being an accountant is boring. It’s why I use it to test men.  If you can’t like me in spite of having a boring job, then you’re not worth my time.”

 

“But I _do_ like you, regardless of whether you’re an accountant or a burger flipper at McDonald’s.  I like you, Cas,” Dean insisted.

 

“I own the Grover Food Chain.  My brothers both work for me.”

 

“Seriously.”  Dean wondered if he was being bullshitted again.

 

“Seriously.  Google it. I happened to get into investments in high school, and they took off.  I had my first million by the age of 25. I opened a grocery store, and due to careful planning for location, marketing, and products sold, it took off.  I now own three stores, and I’m about to open a fourth. Gabe handles marketing; Michael is my head accountant. My sisters Anna and Hael each manage two of my stores, I manage the third.  I’ve made it a family business. Claire plans to go to college to study business. Currently she works in one of my stores as a cashier. She’s working her way up just like anyone else would.”

 

“You seriously had a million dollars by 25?”  Dean was in shock.

 

“My father gifted each of us $25,000 under the strict rule that we invest it, and do so wisely.  I studied the market for most of my high school career so I’d be ready for his gift. My parents are wealthy, but they didn’t spoil their children. They expected us to work for every penny we were given, including the money we were given at graduation.  I invested better than my siblings, and I paid extra-close attention to the market. Once I’d earned my first million, my father encouraged me to start my own business. I’d been researching that as well and I decided that I wanted to open something better than Walmart, that would eventually become adequate competition.  As it is, we’ve shut down the one here, and we’re close to shutting down the one in Alton. We offer lower prices, more products, and our employees are paid an actual living wage. People want to work for us over Walmart. I pride myself on the business I’ve created.”

 

“I figured you had to do something pretty big to live in this neighborhood, and I figured accounting must pay real good if you lived here.  Now I get it better. Claire said you’re a jack of all trades.”

 

“I took electrical and carpentry courses for fun, so I’d know how to remodel my house.  I don’t like other people to do what I can do myself. I had no help, save for what Claire has done to pitch in, and I’m quite proud of everything I’ve done to fix my house up,”  Castiel said proudly.

 

“Dude, you just get even hotter the more I learn about you.”  Dean grinned.

 

“Because I’m wealthy?”  Castiel cocked his head, hoping that wasn’t why.

 

“No, because you’re a take-charge kind of guy, and you can seriously do anything.  Do you know how to work on cars?”

 

“I know some.  More than changing a tire, less than rebuilding a transmission.”

 

‘Dude, that’s hot.”  Dean’s grin grew wider.  “Hey, you wanna come in? If I keep the door open I’m bound to get mosquitoes in here.”

 

Castiel stepped inside, and Dean closed the door.  He took a look around the living room. It was unpacked, everything in its place, and he had to admit, Dean had style.

 

“Would you like some coffee?  Or iced tea?”

 

“Iced tea would be nice, thank you.”  Castiel followed Dean into the kitchen.  “Have you unpacked everything?”

 

“Not everything.  First floor, yes. Second floor, not so much.  I’m still trying to figure out where to put everything.  My room’s about the only one up there that’s unpacked.” Dean said as he poured them both a glass of tea.  He passed one of them to Castiel.

 

“I’ve lived here ten years, almost eleven now, and I think it was probably two years before I finally had everything unpacked and put where I wanted it.  Then again, I was also remodeling a lot during that time and it was easier to move boxes than it was to move each individual item.”

 

“I like the neighborhood, so far.  I’ve been making a lot of my own furniture since I moved in here.  I made a cabinet to go over my toilet and a couple of bookcases for upstairs.  I made my coffee table, the bookcases in the living room, the entertainment center.  You see, I like working with my hands too. Next on my list of things to make are shelves for my garage.  There’s no organization in there, and it’s driving me nuts.” Dean took a sip of his tea as he looked Castiel over.  The man was still dressed in the shorts and tee shirt he’d spied him wearing earlier. So he hadn’t gone and taken a shower.  What _had_ he done?  Apparently talked to Claire, if he was over here now.

 

“They’re lovely, I noticed them when we were in there.  I’ve made a few things in my house as well.” Castiel took a sip of his tea and set the glass down.  He looked thoroughly uncomfortable suddenly.

 

“Everything ok?”

 

“Yes, yes, everything is fine.  I’m just not very good at these kinds of things.  I didn’t come over to make small talk. I came over with the intention of asking if you’d like to have dinner with me this evening.”

 

Dean smiled wide, his heart thudding hard in his chest.  “Yeah? What time?”

 

“I can be ready by seven.  There’s an Italian restaurant that just opened up on Remington that I’ve been interested in trying.”  Castiel pulled his phone out and as Dean watched, he called the restaurant to see if he could get a reservation for that time.  When he hung up, he tucked his phone away and smiled.

 

“They have a table available at 7:30.”

 

“Semi casual or formal?”  Dean asked.

 

“I think a suit is appropriate, though you can probably forgo the tie.”  

 

“Cool, I’ll grab my Armani and get it ready.”  Dean was all smiles, incredibly excited that he’d finally get a chance to go out with Castiel, though he thought he’d be the one to finally do the asking.  He was cool, though, with being asked out.

 

“Armani?  I might have to step up my game then.  I have a few nice suits. I’m sure Claire will pick one out for me.”

 

“She’s coming over tonight?  Not tomorrow?”

 

“She is off tomorrow so she wanted to come tonight.  She’s taking an uber over here now,” Cas replied.

 

“She’s quite…a force to be reckoned with,” Dean said with a chuckle.

 

“She’s a precocious, head strong, pain in my ass, but I love her.”  Castiel smiled and Dean felt his heart thud again at just how much more handsome the man looked when he was happy.

 

“That’s how teenagers are though.  My brother was like that at as a kid too.  I have another brother who’s in that stage now.  Believe it or not, I have a 17-year-old brother, the product of my dad’s second marriage.  He thinks he knows everything.”

 

“I think he’d get along brilliantly with Claire,” Castiel said dryly.

 

A car pulled up out front, and through the window they could see Claire getting out.

 

“Well, I suppose I should get going.  I’ll come get you at seven.” Castiel started to leave, and Dean followed him to the door.

 

“I’ll be ready.”

 

He watched as his sexy neighbor headed back to his house, already launching into a quiet but heated argument with his daughter as they headed inside their house.  Once they were gone, he closed the door and hurried up to his room. His suits were at the back of his closet, he didn’t wear them very often, and he wanted to make sure his Armani still fit.  He dug out the charcoal gray and the black, deciding he’d look sharper in the black, so he put the gray back and tried the other on. Standing in front of the mirror on the back of the door, he deemed that he looked really good.  Castiel was going to drool later, which was exactly what he wanted.

 

Heading back to the bathroom he styled his hair and shaved.  From there he realized he still had the entire day ahead of himself.  Not knowing what to do, he decided to work. Playing some video games would be fun and relaxing.  He set an alarm for six to make sure he had time to get ready and then headed back downstairs to grab something to eat before he zoned out on the couch for most of the day.  If he didn’t have the games as a distraction, all he’d think about was his date later, and he didn’t want to overthink things. Yes, videogames were the perfect distraction.

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

“But you did it, right?  You asked him out?” Claire had ignored her father’s lecture on her behavior and disrespect earlier on the phone and was looking up at him expectantly.  He rolled his eyes and sighed.

 

“Yes, ok?  We have a date tonight.”

 

She squealed again, and it was just as ear piercing as it had been on the phone earlier.

 

“Yes!  I’m so happy for you!  He wants a chance to sweep you off your feet.  You need to let him. Did you tell him what you do for a living?”

 

“Yes, and he seemed shocked, but he was more interested in the fact that I do all my own home repairs.”

 

“That’s cool, you guys will have so much stuff to talk about tonight.  Does he want kids? You should ask him if he has any already, or if he wants kids.”

 

“I don’t think he has children, or they’d come to visit.  I don’t know if that’s appropriate first date material, asking if he wants kids.”  He frowned, trying to remember when a conversation like that was appropriate to have.  It certainly wasn’t on the first date. Then there was the question of whether he even wanted more kids.  He loved Claire to pieces, but having more kids had never been high on his list of priorities.

 

“Well, talk about your favorite books and movies, that’s a good topic, right?  Or favorite places to visit! Tell him about your trip to Amsterdam. I bet he’ll be interested.  You can tell him about the time we went to Greece, or hey, talk about his job, everything you did to fix the house up.  I know you’ll impress him.”

 

“Why don’t you help me figure out what I’m going to wear?  I can manage conversation.”

 

She shot up the stairs, and by the time he made it up to his bedroom she was deep in his closet, searching through his suits for one she liked.

 

“Maybe this one!”  She pulled out a royal blue one.

 

“You think?”  He liked that one, but was it first date material?

 

“Yes, it brings out your eyes.  You’ll look so handsome.”

 

She’d been right about everything else so far, so he decided to go with it.  He found a tailored white dress shirt that hugged his chest and waist in all the right ways.  If he left the jacket open it would show off how toned he was, and he’d get a little retribution for all the torment Dean had been doing to him as of late.  There was still a full day ahead of him though, so he decided to do his rounds and make sure everything was running smoothly at all of his stores. First though, he needed a shower.

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

“Here, let me.”

 

Claire directed her dad to sit on the closed toilet, and then she took over styling his hair with gel.  When she was done, he stood up to look in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised to see that she’d been able to tame his wild locks.  He did a quick shave, since he already had a five o’clock shadow, and then went to get dressed. It was already almost 6:30, and he didn’t want to have to rush last minute.  Once he had his pants and shirt on, Claire reappeared, heading to his dresser where several bottles of cologne sat. She sniffed at each one while he got his socks and shoes on, then selected the Acqua di Gio.  

 

“This one isn’t overbearing, and it smells really good.  It’s a nice clean scent that will make him drool even more without ruining the smell of whatever you’re eating.”  She dabbed a bit on his neck and wrists. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings by telling her he never wore cologne on his wrists.  She was in a good mood and happy for him. Hell, _he_ was happy.  He slipped the jacket on and took a look in the mirror, critiquing his outfit.  

 

“You look amazing, Dad.  My friends drool over you, and Dean will too.”

 

“That’s disturbing, you know that?  They should be looking at boys their own age, not old men like me.”

 

Claire rolled her eyes.  “You’re not old. I know I’m supposed to say you are cause I’m a teenager, but you’re not.  Hey, Mom still turns heads too. I lucked out, I have two hot parents.”

 

Castiel chuckled as he closed the jacket and grabbed his wallet, phone and keys.  A quick check of his watch told him it was nearly seven.

 

“I suppose it’s time to go.  I hope he’s as easy to talk to as he is to look at.”  

 

Claire gave a startled laugh and smacked his arm playfully.

 

“Dad!”

 

“What?  A pretty face does not an intellectual conversation make.”

 

“Not everyone is as smart as you, but I get the feeling Dean’s pretty smart, so give him a chance.”  She ushered him towards the front door.

 

“Have fun, and if you don’t come home tonight, I’ll totally understand.”

 

He whipped around on her, unable to hide his shock.

 

“Claire Elizabeth Novak!  I will be home tonight!”

 

“Ok, I get it, you don’t sleep with men on the first date.  At least kiss him, though, he keeps staring at your lips when you talk to him.  I know he wants to.”

 

He pinched the bridge of his nose and opened the front door.  She was just too much to deal with tonight.

 

“Keep the door locked, understand?  Call me if you need me. And keep the alarm set.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, go have fun on your date and leave me to my pizza and horror movie marathon.”  

 

She waved and closed the door behind him.  He headed down the stairs and walked to the garage since she had pushed him out the front door instead of towards the garage door, he had to enter from there to pull his car out.  Should he drive the Prius tonight, or the Corvette? That felt a little pretentious, but then again, it was a classic, and Dean seemed to love classics. He slid behind the wheel of the Corvette and backed her out of the garage.

 

He pulled into Dean’s driveway and parked, barely getting out of the car before Dean’s front door was opening and he was stepping out.

 

“Wow!  Where have you been hiding this beauty?”

 

“She’s parked in my garage.  I tend to just show her, and occasionally drive around town.  I’m always afraid she’ll get bumped, or someone will try to steal her.  Come winter I move her to a storage facility and swap her out for my truck.  I use that on the ice, and to haul materials when I’m working on the house.”

 

“I have Baby, that’s my Impala, and a pickup truck I use for hauling stuff.”  Dean said as he came down the stairs. He tore his eyes away from the car to get a look at his date.  “Damn, you look fantastic.”

 

Castiel smiled and walked around to the passenger door to open it.  Dean smiled back as he slid into the car.

 

Once they were both seated, Castiel pulled out of the driveway.

 

“I didn’t know you liked classic cars.  That makes you even more attractive in my book,” Dean said as they drove to the restaurant.

 

“I like a great many things, classic cars is just one of them.”  Castiel offered a brief smile before turning his attention back to the road.

 

“What is your preference on music?”  Dean asked.

 

“Oh, I like a little bit of everything.  Claire has gotten me into some of her music too, though I did try to resist.  I listen to everything from classical to rock, to pop, and everything in between, though I’m not particularly fond of rap, or of jazz.”

 

“You like classic rock?”

 

“I happen to love it,”  Castiel replied.

 

“Sweet.  I love classic rock.  I’ll listen to a lot of stuff, more so now that I’m older than when I was young, but primarily I listen to classic rock.”

 

“Classic rock is very good.  I have a rather extensive music collection that I like to listen to.  Most of it is on my iPod now, but I have records and CDs as well.” Castiel pointed to the glovebox.  “I have a portable CD player in there and I will sometimes use it when there’s nothing on the radio, or if I want Claire to be quiet.  I didn’t want to change the interior too much, just to restore it.”

 

They chatted about music until they got to the restaurant, then headed inside.  It wasn’t long before they were seated and once their drink order had been taken, Castiel turned his attention to Dean.

 

“So, how old are you, Dean?”

 

“Well that was straightforward,”  Dean joked. “I just turned 40 in January.  You?”

 

“I turn 44 in August.  Did you always want to be a videogame designer?”  Castiel ignored the comment and waited expectantly.

 

“Uh, yeah, I guess I did.  I played Nintendo and Sega as a kid, and I kept thinking how cool it would be to make my own games.  I got hooked on Legend of Zelda around like, 12, and I wanted to make a game like that, so I started writing down a sort of blueprint for what I would add if I ever got to make my own game.  My best friend, you met her, Charlie? She was as big a gaming nerd as me, so we decided we were going to start our own gaming company when we grew up. She forced me to really put in the effort in school and together we headed to MIT on full scholarships.  I worked my ass off there, and we developed our first game our second year. It was choppy, not easy to play and so full of bugs it was ridiculous, but eventually we figured it out. We smoothed out all the kinks and offered it up to Nintendo and Playstation.  Neither bit, so we started on a new game. That one was easier and better in general, and it sold for quite a bit of money. From there I went on to make 26 more games on my own. Charlie’s made probably double that, but we did fulfill our dream of starting our own company.  We own Winbury Industries. We offer scholarships now to young designers wanting to follow their dreams of making games. I still design, so does Charlie. I even went back, did some tweaking to our original game and released it two years ago. Ever heard of Gambion’s Quest?”

 

Castiel found himself stunned into silence as he listened to Dean talking.  He knew that to live in their neighborhood the man had to make really good money designing games, but he didn’t think he was “owning his own videogame company” rich.  He blinked as he realized a question had been asked.

 

“Sorry, what was the name of the game?”

 

“Gambion’s Quest.”

 

Oh, Castiel _did_ know that game.  He’d bought it for Claire but ended up liking it so much, he’d taken to playing it quite a bit himself.  The storyline was engaging and the quests were exciting. Much better than Legend of Zelda or Final Fantasy.

 

“Yes, I actually play that one.  It’s quite good. You must be very proud, you’re giving many other companies a run for their money.”

 

“My goal was to make games that people would enjoy, and I’ve made that happen,”  Dean explained.

 

“I can’t believe you went to MIT.  That’s amazing.”

 

“Where did you go to college?”  Dean asked.

 

“Nowhere as good, I’m afraid.  I went to UIC, the Chicago campus, then transferred to Stanford for business and economics.  It helped me understand the stock market better for my investments. I’ve since inherited an equal share of my father’s estate since he died two years ago, and he was worth nearly a hundred million.  It was divided amongst my siblings and myself. We all still prefer to work rather than just live off our money. It’s how we were raised, with a strong work ethic.”

 

“I’d say.  You’re all millionaires, and you still prefer to work?  That’s a pretty excellent upbringing. Is that how you’re raising Claire?”  

 

“Yes.  She wanted a job when she turned 16, so I gave her one.  I made it clear she wasn’t starting off as a manager; she has no prior experience, so she has to work her way up.  Of her own ability, she’s about to make head cashier. When she turns 18, we’ll see about starting her in a low-level management position.  When she starts college, I’ve made it clear that education comes first, and I don’t expect her to settle for a local university just to keep her job.  She’s thinking of going to Harvard, or possibly Stanford and studying the same things I have. I’ve been investing for her, at her request since she’s too young to do it herself, and she’s already made about $10,000.  She’s also lost about $3,000. It’s a learning experience for her. When she graduates, I’ll make the same deal with her my dad made with me. I’ll give her money to invest. It’s up to her to make the right investment choices.”

 

The conversation flowed easily, much more than Castiel had expected, and he was pleasantly surprised by how well they were getting along.  It turned out that Dean had invested money too, though he’d hired an adviser to help him with that, and that launched them into a brand new conversation about stocks, bonds, and up and coming investments.  From there they eased into talking about their favorite movies, hobbies, and Dean learned that Castiel was way, _way_ cooler than he’d first thought.  Sure, he still did gardening and listened to classical music, but he ran marathons, traveled the world, and enjoyed cooking, just like Dean.  

 

“So you took Claire to Greece for her 13th birthday?”  Dean was fascinated by all that the man sitting across from him had seen and done in his lifetime.

 

“She was fascinated by Greek Mythology, so I packed her and her mother up, and we took a vacation to go tour Greece.”

 

“Are you and your ex close?”  Dean asked.

 

“At first, no, we weren’t, but we’re on good terms again.  She’s a good friend. Her husband declined joining us on the trip so we Skype called him every day from one cool place or another, so he could enjoy it with us.  He works at one of my stores, actually, but he’s terrified of planes, so he refused to come. I did get him to join us on a trip to Cancun last year, but he drove.  We flew down. It was a nice vacation, and he and Amelia treated it like a second honeymoon, which was sweet. Claire and I slipped away a few times to give them some time to themselves.”

 

“That’s pretty cool.  Charlie travels a lot.  I’m not crazy about flying either, but I have visited all 50 states, even Hawaii.  I flew for that one, though I was a nervous wreck coming and going. It was a pretty cool trip though.  I toured the volcanoes, tried my hand at surfing, which I suck at, and did tours of historic landmarks. It was a pretty awesome trip, and I took a ton of pictures to later use in one of my games.”

 

“I’ve not been to all 50 states.  I’ve been to Hawaii, though not in a very long time, and about 17 other states.  I’d like to see them all,” Castiel said. Dean smiled warmly at him.

 

“There’s nothing better than jumping in your car and hitting the open road.”

 

Castiel smiled back.  “I will have to do that.”

 

Dinner was wonderful, and they enjoyed dessert as well before Castiel paid the bill and they got up to leave.

 

“I’ve had a lot of fun tonight, Cas.  I’d like to see you again. Do you think you’d be up for movies and burgers?  Maybe tomorrow night? We can bring Claire,” Dean asked as they pulled into Castiel’s driveway.

 

“I’d like that.  I love burgers. I’ll see if Claire has plans tomorrow.  She might be working,” Castiel turned the car off and shifted in his seat so he was facing Dean.  “Perhaps we should exchange numbers.”

 

They did that and then sat there for a moment.

 

“I enjoyed tonight as well.  It went much better than I’d hoped for.  I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Were you thinking afternoon or evening?”  Castiel asked.

 

“Well, I’ll check the movie times and see exactly what’s playing first.  We can plan from there. I want to show you that I’m not looking for a quick fling, or a one night stand, ok?  I want something here.” Dean motioned between the two of them. Castiel found himself smiling.

 

“I’d like that.  But I ask that you do me a favor.”

 

“Sure, what?”

 

“Please don’t exercise in front of the windows half naked when my daughter is here.”

 

Dean almost swallowed his tongue.

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

Castiel was still smiling as he stepped inside his house, having come in through the garage this time.  He’d barely closed the door before Claire had pounced on him.

 

“Well?  How was it?  Will there be a second date?  Did you kiss? Did everything go well?”

 

“Slow down, munchkin.”  He chuckled as he unbuttoned his jacket and headed for the stairs.  She was right on his heels. “It went very well. You know, he went to MIT?  He owns his own videogame company. He’s the one that made Gambion’s Quest.”

 

“Seriously?  That is so cool!”  Claire exclaimed.

 

“And for your information, yes, there is a second date.  Tomorrow we’re going to the movies and out for burgers. You’re invited.”

 

“I can’t, I’m working, but you go and have fun.  Did you kiss?”

 

He rolled his eyes as he stepped into his bedroom and hung his jacket up.

 

“No, we did not.  I don’t like doing that on the first date, and I told him as much.  He was not wanting to yet either, though he did make a few comments about how irresistible I am.  It’s nice knowing he’s attracted to me.”

 

“I want all the details about your date tomorrow.  Hold his hand at the movies, and freaking _kiss him_ this time!”

 

He rolled his eyes and shooed her out of the room so he could change.  Once he was in shorts and a tee shirt, he left his room, but Claire was gone.  He found her back in the living room.

 

“Want to watch a movie with me?” she asked.

 

“What time do you have to be at work tomorrow?”

 

“Not until noon.  I work till seven.”

 

“Alright.”  He grabbed glasses of iced tea for them both and joined her on the couch.”

 

“What are we watching?” he asked.

 

“Return of the Living Dead.  Part three.”

 

“God help me…”  He groaned. His daughter giggled and pressed play.

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

 **Dean:**  So no Claire?

 

 **Castiel:**  No, she has work like I suspected.  What movies are playing?

 

 **Dean:**  I’ve been wanting to see Ant Man and the Wasp.  Do you like Marvel?

 

 **Castiel:**  I do.  I saw the first one and all of the previous movies that tie the Marvel movies together.  I’m a big fan. I’ve been wanting to see that one too. It has been on my list of movies to go see since I first heard about it.”

 

 **Dean:**  There’s a showing at noon, 2:30, 4:40, 7:10, and 9:40.  What time works for you?

 

They made plans from there for the 2:30 showing, and that gave them both time to get stuff done around the house and shower before they met up to head to the theater.  Cas let Claire drive his Prius to work (no way was she allowed to touch his Corvette!) and he headed over to Dean’s at two so they could head out. He’d dressed casual, with more guidance from his daughter, in a tee shirt and a pair of jeans that hung low on his hips once he started putting things in the pockets, like his phone and wallet.  His hair was somewhat manageable, and he’d gone with a different cologne today, adding a very small amount so he didn’t make Dean or anyone in the theater sick. He barely knocked on Dean’s door before it was flying open.

 

“Oh, sorry, I was actually just coming out to bring the car out of the garage.”

 

“It’s alright.”  Castiel smiled happily.  Dean looked really good in his own tee shirt and jeans that hugged him in all the right places.  He followed Dean down to the garage; his was not attached, and they climbed into the Impala together.

 

The ride was pleasant but short, and soon they were pulling into the theater parking lot.  Dean bought the tickets and when he offered his hand, Castiel happily took it. They bought popcorn and drinks, and headed for their theater.  It was mostly empty and they had their pick of seats. As soon as they were sitting, Dean placed the popcorn bucket in Castiel’s lap and slung an arm across the back of his date’s seat.  Castiel didn’t mind though.

 

The movie was funny, but the end left them both gutted and they walked out afterwards wondering if that had been a good idea for a second date.

 

“That was…”

 

“I know.  Fucking Thanos.”

 

“Cas, I didn’t know you swore.”

 

“At Thanos, I do.”

 

Dean took his hand again and they headed for the parking lot.  “So where do you want to get burgers?”

 

“Five Guys?”

 

“Yes!  They’re awesome!”  Dean exclaimed. His excitement made Castiel chuckle.  He was liking Dean more and more with each passing minute.

 

They drove to the nearest Five Guys and Dean paid again, not that Castiel minded.  He was used to always being the one to pay for things so dating someone that was willing to do so was refreshing.  He stared out the window while Dean waited for their food order, and once it came, Dean headed for the door.

 

“Aren’t we eating here?”  Castiel asked.

 

“I have somewhere better.  Come on.”

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

They drove to an empty field and after climbing up on the hood of the car, they opened the bag of food to start eating.

 

“It’s pretty here.  I like it,” Castiel commented.

 

“When I was a kid, we were dirt broke.  It was a source of animosity between my parents because my dad had a drinking problem and was drinking away our money.  Mom struggled to bring money in, and he’d drink that away too. It led to their divorce. I was 14 when they divorced, and I was devastated.  I adored my dad, even when he was drunk and volatile. He was my dad, you know? Anyway, Mom got custody and the court stipulated that if dad wanted visitation, he had to get sober and stay sober.  He struggled for years to get clean. In the meantime, I got a job to help support my family, and I helped raise my little brother. Sam was ten when they divorced and not nearly as close to our dad as I was.  It didn’t affect him the same way, and he didn’t feel the poverty as deeply as I did.

 

“I used to get creative for dates as a kid.  I almost never had any more money in my pocket than gas money and maybe a couple bucks to get like, McDonald’s, so I didn’t really get to go on too many dates.  People didn’t want to date a broke ass guy who ended up walking to school at least once a week if not more because I’d run out of gas money. One of my favorite things to do for dates was find empty fields like this, and we’d watch the butterflies or dragonflies, or the bees as they buzzed about.  Or we’d go at night and watch the stars. I still like coming to places like this. It feels…romantic. It’s not about money, it’s about the person you’re with, and I wanted to share this with you.” Dean turned to see Castiel staring at him, his blue eyes wide with wonder.

 

“I’m quite honored.”

 

“Did you ever come to places like this as a kid?”

 

Castiel nodded.  “I did, mostly to escape my family.  There was a lot of pressure put on us, and I didn’t always get along with my siblings, so sometimes I’d go to the gardens, or I’d lay out on the enormous lawn and watch the stars.  Sometimes my sisters would join me, sometimes Gabe would. Never my brother Michael though. As the oldest, he had the most pressure put on him, and he never really got to be a kid.  It’s sad, really. I think it’s why he’s content to do the accounting for me. He makes good money, plus he has his inheritance, so money isn’t an issue, but he’s not being forced to jump into the business world, teeth bared, ready to tear apart anyone that got in his way.  He’s not ruthless like our father was.

 

“Michael is…strong, stubborn, wise beyond his years, but he learned a long time ago that cruelty got him nowhere.  Still, he never got the chance to just kick back and relax. There was a lot of pressure on Gabe too, as the second oldest son.  I think it surprised our father when it turned out that I was the shrewdest one with money, and the one that wanted my own business.  I’m second to the youngest. I think he’d sort of relaxed some by the time we came along. Still, escaping the house and finding my own special place became a regular activity for me.  One of the gardeners, at my humble five-year-old request, planted wildflowers in one of the beds and I would lay for hours watching the bees flit from flower to flower. It was very soothing.”

 

“How did your dad make his money?  Was he born into it?” Dean asked.

 

“Hardly.  He worked for a newspaper, then opened his own when he was 26.  It took off, and he made a lot of money. From there he started several magazines that are still in publication today.  It’s part of why the marketing went so well for my stores. Gabe advertised in every one of the magazines, but only the copies being distributed locally, and it helped get my first store off the ground.  My mom is running the magazines; the newspaper industry has died but mom was hip enough to get the magazines online, so that business is still thriving. When she dies, my siblings and I will get together and discuss the will, and whether or not we want to sell.  It’s a very lucrative company.”

 

“We had very different upbringings,”  Dean noted.

 

“But it still seemed to bring us to the same place.  I’m thinking you are probably wealthier than me currently.”  

 

Dean shrugged.  “Doesn’t really matter if I don’t have someone to share it with.”

 

“Touché,”  Castiel chuckled.  Dean grinned and bumped shoulders with him.

 

“I am smooth, but it’s the truth.  I have money, but I’ve only really ever spent it on my family.  I bought my mom and stepdad a great house, I did the same for my brother, and I paid his way through college and covered the cost of his wedding. I started a trust fund for each of his kids too.  When my dad finally sobered up, that’s when he met Kate, my stepmom. I bought them a house too, and I have a trust fund set up for Adam, my youngest brother. I like taking care of my family. Adam wants to come work for me, he loves game designing.  I told him if he keeps his grades up and continues to show progress with his designs, I’ll give him an internship. He’s excited, but he has to finish college first. By the way, my brother Sam, that’s the one that was helping me move in, he went to Stanford.  He’s a lawyer.”

 

“That’s a wonderful career to get into.  How is your father doing now? Were there lifelong complications from his illness?”

 

Dean popped a fry in his mouth and watched a fat bumblebee fly past the car.  “Yeah, but I’m in a position to take care of him, in a way he couldn’t do for us when we were kids.  He’s been sober Adam’s entire life, and the kid gets to see a side of him we didn’t when we were growing up.  So, for my brother’s sake, I help cover his medical bills. Dad’s going to need a liver transplant though. I told him I’m not using my money or business status to move him up the donor’s list; that isn’t fair, especially when the reason he needs one is because he couldn’t stay away from the beer.  He understands though. Didn’t want me using my influence to do that anyway.”

 

“You’re a good man, Dean.”

 

He smiled softly at Castiel.  “I try.”

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

After they had finished eating they laid back carefully to look up at the clouds.  They linked hands and talked about anything and everything that came to mind, from the time Dean got bitten by a dog when he was six to Castiel’s emergency appendectomy at four.  They even shared scars, though seeing Castiel lift his shirt up to show his was more of a turn on for Dean than he’d anticipated. Castiel seemed to sense it and with a smirk, dropped his shirt back down and stretched out again.  Of course, with low hanging jeans and a shirt that liked the ride up, it gave Dean a delicious view. He found his eyes going to that little strip of exposed skin many times, though Castiel didn’t acknowledge it at all.

 

“Cas, when’s the last time you were with someone?”

 

“That’s a rather personal question.  I’m not a prude, if that’s what you’re implying.”

 

“I’m not.  I just keep thinking, a guy as hot as you, you must get guys fawning over you all the time.”

 

Castiel snorted at the absurdity of that.  “No, I don’t. I have a healthy dating life, and I’ve had my fair share of relationships, but I’m picky about who I date.  I broke up with my last boyfriend six months ago. He was under the impression that I would willingly support his extravagant lifestyle, while he fooled around with anyone he liked.  I quickly proved that I would not.”

 

“Ouch, he sounds like a douchebag.  I’m sorry. I’ve had a few like that too, once they figure out I’m the “Win” in Winbury.  I try to keep that on the down low most of the time and just tell people I’m a game designer.”

 

“Why did you ask?”  Castiel turned his head so he could see Dean’s profile.

 

“Well, I want this to be something good between us.  I’d like to continue seeing you. Only you.”

 

Castiel carefully propped himself up on his elbow and leaned over so he was fully on his side.

 

“Already asking for exclusivity?”

 

“I suppose I am.  I’m not really good about sharing.  If you’re seeing anyone else, I’d rather know now.”

 

Castiel waved his concern off with a flick of his hand.  “I’m not seeing anyone. I did cancel a date yesterday to come and ask you out, but that wouldn’t have made it past the first date, he was dull.  You are not, you keep me mentally stimulated, which is something I like very much.”

 

Dean propped himself up and angled himself towards Cas.  “I am glad to hear that. Can I kiss you?”

 

Castiel smiled, his heart fluttering as much as his stomach was.  “Yes, please.”

 

Dean closed the distance between them, bringing their lips together gently.  It was sweet, and he felt privileged getting to kiss someone as amazing as Castiel.  They spent the next half hour kissing lazily before deciding to head back to Dean’s house to watch the first Antman.

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

Castiel was seeing his friends Donna and Jody out when suddenly Donna yelped in surprise and dropped the box of cupcakes Castiel had bought her for her birthday.

 

“What?”  Both Jody and Castiel asked worriedly.  As he stooped down to pick up the box, he caught sight of the house next door.  Dean was outside, washing his beloved Impala. In nothing but a pair of very short cutoff jeans.  He was wet, soapy, and Castiel was willing to bet there was _nothing_ on under those shorts.

 

“Fuck,” he murmured as he practically shoved the box into Donna’s hands.

 

“Who is _that_?”  Jody asked.

 

“That is Dean, my boyfriend.  He wasn’t home earlier or I’d have told him to come over and meet you.  Apparently he’s home now.” He replied through gritted teeth. Lifting his hand up, he waved.  “Dean!”

 

Dean turned at the sound of his voice, his eyes widening when he saw Castiel wasn’t alone.

 

“Damn, he is _yummy_!”  Donna whispered.  Jody laughed and smacked her on the arm.  Slowly, Dean made his way over, looking somewhat embarrassed and ashamed.

 

“Hey…Cas, you didn’t tell me you were having company today.”

 

“You didn’t ask.”  Castiel was amused.  Later he’d take it out on Dean.  In the bedroom. First he’d have to peel him out of those shorts…

 

“So, you’re Castiel’s boyfriend?  I’m Jody, this is Donna. We’re visiting from out of town.  He told me he’s been seeing someone, but you’re not what I expected.”  She had a wicked smirk that just made Dean go even redder.

 

“You’re better than _I_ expected!”  Donna was grinning wide.  She laughed when Jody smacked her arm again.  “What? He’s _exactly_ what Castiel needs!”

 

Castiel rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t hide his own smile.  “Yes, we’ve been dating for six months now. When you come over tomorrow night we can do dinner.  It will be nice, and Dean will be _dressed_ for it, won’t you, dear?”

 

Dean crossed his arms awkwardly over his chest.  “Oh, uh, yeah, like, fully dressed.” He stumbled over the words as he averted his gaze.  This was embarrassing. Sure, the neighbors (Becky) stared a lot, but they weren’t Castiel’s close friends.  This wasn’t exactly the impression he wanted to make on them. Castiel placed a hand on his arm reassuringly.

 

“We’ll grill, how does that sound?”

 

“Sounds yummy.  Will you make your blue cheese burgers?”  Donna asked.

 

“Sure, I can do that,”  Castiel agreed. “Be here at five and we’ll enjoy a nice, quiet evening.”

 

Donna and Jody said their goodbyes, and then Dean was left standing there with Castiel.

 

“Babe, I’m sorry, I didn’t know they were coming over.  I was just trying to get you a bit riled up, not make a bad impression on your friends.”  Dean apologized. Castiel kissed him to shut him up.

 

“Don’t worry about it; they already like you.  They popped in for a surprise visit; I had no idea they were coming until they called a few hours ago.  I barely had enough time to run and get some cupcakes for Donna’s birthday before they arrived. You weren’t home and you didn’t answer my texts.  Imagine my surprise when I came outside and saw this.” He let his eyes wander down Dean’s wet, soapy body. “I think you should finish washing your car and meet me in my bedroom.  I’m giving you 15 minutes. Claire will be here in an hour and a half, so don’t dawdle. I fully intend to strip those shorts off you and have my way.”

 

He walked away, heading back into his house. Dean stared at the closed door all of two seconds before he jumped into action.  He hurried to hose the car off and did the fastest wipe down in history before deciding to just leave her in the driveway to dry.  The weather was too cool for the shorts he’d donned anyway; it had just been for the benefit of turning his boyfriend on. Apparently it worked.  He tossed his cleaning supplies in the garage and ran back next door. Castiel was going to rock his world, and he couldn’t wait!

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I appreciate each and every one of you that read what I write. I still have next to no wifi at home but I do see your comments, and I love hearing from you all. I reply when I am able. It depends on more than just wifi. Health factors in to, but I am seeing them, and I am appreciating all of you. Thank you for reading, I love you guys!


End file.
